Board & Management
meet our management teamBoard
Anna Guillan AM
Chair
Business/Government
Anna Guillan is a respected and highly experienced Non-Executive Director.
Appointed as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, her extensive service includes Board Member of the Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation, Board Member of Hammons Holdings, Chair of Western Sydney Parklands Trust; Deputy Chair of Tourism Australia; Board Member of CareFlight; Board Member of Tourism & Events Queensland; Deputy Chair of Australian Tourism Export Council, and CEDA Trustee.
Anna has a strong strategic commercial background with demonstrated success across diverse sectors including Visitor Economy; Marketing; Resorts; Destination Planning; Aero-Medical; and Health Services. She is also the Australian representative for Kerzner International, a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts.
Anna is Co-Founder of cancer charity, the NELUNE Foundation, and is a recipient of the Order of Australia, acknowledging her service to the Australian tourism industry and to the community through support for social welfare and health organisations.
Clive Cachia
Professional Services (Legal)
Clive Cachia is a corporate transactional lawyer predominantly focused on major infrastructure, logistics, energy and resources projects. He also provides specific regulatory and commercial advice to multi-national and domestic clients in these and other heavily regulated industries including education and agribusiness. Clive also advises established and growing corporations on incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures, in-bound and out-bound investment arrangements, corporate governance, offtake and logistics agreements and other service and operational arrangements.
Dianne Tipping
Export Capability for Business
Dianne Tipping – Chair Export Council of Australia / Managing Director Excon International Pty. Ltd. Dianne has had a long and varied career in international trade promotion and facilitation. Dianne Tipping is the founder and Managing Director of Excon International Pty Ltd. a Global Management Consultancy business that specialises in the teaching/training and management of International trade – especially focusing on the on-going evolution by recognising the changing needs of the international business community. Over the years Dianne has increasingly developed practical programs and creative business tools that build the capability and capacity of companies to grow internationally.
Jacqueline Brinkman
Communications & Government
Jacqueline Brinkman is an economic development specialist and CEO of Economic Development Australia (EDA), the national peak body for economic development. Under Jacqueline’s leadership, EDA membership has more than tripled to over 1200 members in just 4 years. Jacqueline is one of Australia’s most experienced industry cluster managers and she has facilitated industry development and new investment across a range of sectors. Her advocacy and lobbying has resulted in legislative change at a local, state and federal level. Jacqueline was CEO of Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise for 5 years during which, she led the economic recovery following the 2013 bushfires.
Jacqueline has held senior executive roles in the tourism industry in Cairns and NSW, is an award-winning copy writer and an experienced company director.
Kylie Hargreaves
Government/Business
Michael Johnson
Tourism
As CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, National/NSW, Michael calls on his experience within the hotel industry which spans over four decades across Australia and New Zealand. Previously in the business of managing four and five-star business hotels, resorts and tourist attractions, Michael shares insight into all facets of the tourism accommodation industry, from operations to senior management.
Michael was with SPHC for over 20 years, 7 years with Pan Pacific Hotels Group and most recently, as General Manager at PARKROYAL Parramatta where he managed the redevelopment, extension and 2016 relaunch. Since April 2019, Michael has led the team at Tourism Accommodation Australia – National/NSW, liaising closely with member hotels and with Governments to combat hotel industry specific issues. The current focus is related to the effects of COVID-19 such as state health orders, quarantine hotel programs, temporary and skilled migration and the skills and unskilled labour shortages gap.
Steve Lennon
Economic Analysis
Steve is a senior strategy and technology advisor to Boards and C-Level executives, experienced audit & risk committee member and company director. He originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has served as managing director, Australia of the global creative agency Imagination; principal, management consulting with Arup, the design and engineering firm and in consulting leadership roles at several global IT services firms including DXC, SMS Management & Technology, Fujitsu, CGI and Cognizant.
In his executive role as Practice Director – Australia at GHD Digital, Steve advises private and public sector clients in the energy, water, built environment and infrastructure sectors on the digital transformation of their assets, operations and business models so they can rapidly adapt to change and remain competitive.
As client and consultant, banker and borrower, investor and CEO, Steve has built, bought and sold several businesses, and been involved in several start-ups in the digital, construction and professional services sectors. He is an accomplished author and public speaker.
Steve is a Graduate Member of AICD, Non-Executive Board Member of Basketball NSW and a Member of the Business Dynamism & Competitiveness Advisory Committee for CEDA.
Chris Hanger
Regional Development
Chris joined the NSW Government in 2013 and has held executive roles in the Department of Industry, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and now the Department of Regional NSW. These roles have driven the design and implementation of more than $7 billion in flagship government investment packages to deliver New South Wales’ critical stimulus and infrastructure programs to support community recovery and resilience and foster economic growth across regional NSW. Chris has also led teams at the forefront of NSW Government responses to natural disaster (such as the Black Summer Bushfires and 2021 Storm and Flood clean-ups) and the front line of COVID response through delivery of NSW’s successful COVID Hotel Quarantine program.
With a focus on international trade, investment, and business development, Chris’s prior roles with the Commonwealth Government and private sector top-tier law firms complement his comprehensive Government experience. His experience in international relations, corporate governance and government policy and program design has aided the positioning of Regional Development and Programs as a central delivery agency for regional economic development and liveability strategies.
Chris and his team are passionate about designing and delivering programs that drive job creation, economic development, and improved local amenity whilst delivering benefits to the regional communities. Particularly passionate about youth, Aboriginal outcomes, and Diversity and Inclusion, Chris is the Chair of the Department of Regional NSW’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and is committed to representing the voice of regional communities in government decision making.
ALISON BARNARD
Communication & Engagement
Alison is a communications and stakeholder engagement professional with more than 20 years’ experience across four continents and including sectors spanning state and federal government, energy, infrastructure, planning, urban renewal, aviation, defence, and international relations.
She is a passionate communication leader who is skilled in the development and implementation of strategic communications and engagement campaigns for private sector organisations and government agencies.
Alison understands the full spectrum of the communication and media cycle form her work in public affairs units and as a former award-winning TV news reporter and producer.
Alison is a Fellow who has previously served as board member and president of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.
Management
Therese O'Dwyer
Mark Wigley
Julie McAlpin
